Constructive Hugging
by PunkPinkPower
Summary: In the aftermath of "I've Got a Spell on Blue", Mike tries to thank Kevin for pushing him out of the way of Madimot's mind control beam with awkward bro-hugs. For Sky queen3.


The first time, Kevin doesn't think anything of it.

It's after they've finished playing the board game, which Mia trounced them all in, and they're all heading off to bed. Mike puts a firm hand on his shoulder, draws him back and before Kevin can actually react, Mike has him encircled in a quick, hard hug. Kevin lifts a hand while his face twists into a question, but Mike pulls away from him just as quickly as he came.

"Night, Kev," he says as he retreats down the hall.

Kevin watches him for a second, shakes his head with an amused smile and goes to his own room.

The second time, it's breakfast, and they're all munching quietly when Mike strolls in, the last to wake up like usual, and wraps a sleepy arm around Kevin again. Kevin raises an eyebrow, stares skeptically at the fist Mike offers for him to bump. When it starts to get awkward, Kevin sighs and curls his hand into a fist, bumps Mikes, and Mike backs off and goes to get his own food.

By the third time is happens, Kevin is getting suspicious. After they've trained, Mike happily gives everyone high-fives, but when he gets to Kevin, who he saved for last, he holds out his arms. Before Kevin can object, which he would, loudly, if he could, Mike wraps him up in tight bear hug, pats him on the back firmly, and then lets him go, and heads inside with the others.

Kevin stands there, staring after him, wondering what in the world Mike has gotten into his head this time to think that this behavior is normal.

He watches Mike carefully through dinner, waiting to see if he'll do it again. He shows no signs of coming near Kevin, but Kevin is ready for it later because it's their night on dish duty, which means if Mike's behavior today is anything to go by, another hug will be on its way shortly.

They actually get through dishes in relative quiet without incidence, and just when Kevin is thinking Mike's gone back to normal, he feels a hand on his shoulder, and then feels Mike press the side of his face into his back as another arm encircles his front.

"Good job today Kevin," Mike says as he pulls away, grabs a cookie from the kitchen counter and heads down the hall.

Kevin gapes. He fully allows his mouth to drop. Here he's been, all night long, perfectly vigilant at keeping Mike at arm's length, and Mike still managed to get a sneak-hug in! Kevin throws the towel he'd been drying his hands on down on the counter and starts after the sneaky bastard.

"Mike," Kevin says when he reaches the hallway, looking to see Mike stopped in front of his door, hand on the doorknob. "What are you doing?" He demands.

Mike raises his eyebrows, cookie still in his mouth. He removes it with one hand, shifts his eyes between Kevin and the door like Kevin is the crazy one here, and then says, "Going to bed?" like it's a question.

Kevin frowns at him meaningfully, puts his hands on his hips. "What I meant," Kevin says, teeth gritted, "is what is with all the hugging?"

Mike's face clicks into realization for a brief second, but then it goes neutral again almost fast enough for anyone but Kevin not to notice. "Hugs?"

"Yes, Mike," Kevin grinds out. "The hugs. You, hugging me. Three times, and that's just today!"

Mike's mouth turns into a thin line, like he's trying not to laugh. "You were counting?"

Kevin scowls. "I- quit avoiding the question! Why are you hugging me all of a sudden?"

"I think the real question," Mike says, folding his arms, cookie forgotten, and leaning against his door nonchalantly, "is what do you have against hugs? Everyone likes hugs. Come on, Kev, you aren't that much of a freak that you don't like hugs."

"I like hugs just fine!" Kevin defends, crossing his arms over his chest in a mirror of Mike. "I like hugs as well as the next person, when they're necessary and appropriate."

"Oh, these hugs are necessary," Mike says, nodding like he knows something Kevin doesn't. "Clearly, you need a higher daily hug-quotient."

Kevin glares, does his best impression of his father when he's trying to make Kevin talk. "Mike."

Mike sighs dramatically, rolls his eyes and stands up straight. "I was just trying to make sure you were okay, is all."

Kevin pauses, lets his glare fade into mild confusion. "By hugging me?"

"Believe it or not, normal people do that sometimes," Mike intones, and he takes a large bite of the cookie still in his hand.

Kevin waits for Mike to finish chewing before he asks "What do you mean 'make sure I was okay'?"

Mike shrugs, looks away, down at his feet, and huh, Kevin thinks, it's nice to see him at least a little uncertain of himself every once in a while. Reminds Kevin that Mike, like the rest of them, is human, and occasionally subject to emotions that aren't entirely frivolous in nature.

"I'll stop," Mike offers, meeting Kevin's eyes again.

"Well," Kevin says, feeling like he's the one who's done something wrong now. "I mean. You still haven't told me why."

Mike looks at him, chews on the inside of his lip for a moment, considering. "That hit you took yesterday, the one that made you go all batshit for the afternoon," he says, like Kevin needs reminding. "That was meant for me. You pushed me out of the way, remember?"

And oh, yeah, Kevin thinks, maybe he does need a little bit of reminding. He'd totally forgotten that part. "Well, you," he stops, thinks, tries to remember what instinct made him risk his neck for Mike in the first place. "You'd have done it for me, right?"

"In a heartbeat," Mike agrees easily, and Kevin is maybe even a little bit touched. "But that's not what happened. If it had hit me, like he meant it to, I'd have been a lot easier to subdue. You and Jayden could have taken me out in ten minutes," Mike says, and for a minute Kevin wants to ask if that's some kind of weird compliment, but Mike continues. "Only I'd have done a lot more damage before you did."

"What do you mean?" Kevin asks, deflating a little bit. He still doesn't see how this is connected with the hugging.

"I'm clumsy, and obnoxious, and I don't have anywhere near the amount of control you do," Mike says, gesturing at all of Kevin. "Dekker said you were able to hold yourself back during the fight, and he was right. Even when you were evil, you didn't really want to hurt us. You still tried to hold yourself back. I wouldn't have done that, Kevin. So when you took that hit for me? You totally saved my neck," he finishes.

Kevin, for once in his life, has no idea what to say. He glances at the spot on Mike's cheek where he'd cut him yesterday, which is mostly healed today, a pang of guilt rising in his chest. He tries to come up with something to counter what Mike's said, to justify his feelings of guilt and remorse, but he just doesn't know what.

Mike lets out a breath. "And if that weren't enough, all the guilt you feel every time you look at us? All that inner turmoil you're dealing with for turning against us? That should be my guilt. I should be the one feeling awful about hurting my friends, not you. So you took that hit for me, too."

Kevin lets his mouth turn into something like a sad smile. "I didn't realize you thought about this stuff so much."

Mike rolls his eyes, looking annoyed. "Well that's a glowing endorsement. Thanks."

"So the hugging," Kevin starts, nodding.

"I just thought," Mike says, and he looks uncomfortable again. "I thought that maybe I could help you a little bit, take some of that guilt off your shoulders." He pauses, smirks. "I should have known you'd be an anti-hugger."

"I am not an anti-hugger!" Kevin objects immediately. "I told you, hugs are fine when they're called for! But you don't just go around hugging people for no reason."

"I had reasons," Mike jokes. "And you so totally are an anti-hugger. It is always an appropriate time for hugs. Pro-huggers know that."

Kevin looks up at the ceiling in exasperation, looks back at Mike with a wry grin. "You are insane. I like hugs, Mike."

Mike smiles, holds out his arms. "Oh yeah? Prove it. Give us a hug, Kevin."

Kevin raises an eyebrow, tries to keep from smiling. Mike takes a step forward. "I'm not gonna hug you."

"Anti-hugger," Mike accuses, still coming closer in a bit of a threatening way. "Come on, lay one on me. It's hug time whether you like it or not, Kev."

Kevin lets his smile come through, backs away from Mike as Mike continues to step forward. "It doesn't matter what I say, does it?"

"Absolutely not," Mike confirms, and he's close enough now that Kevin knows there's no retreat, so he gives in. With an over-exaggerated sigh, he opens his arms and stumbles a little when Mike throws himself at him.

It's a bit of a lingering hug, with Mike's arms wrapped tightly around his upper body, and Kevin reaches out and wraps his arms around Mike, giving him a tight squeeze. Because obnoxious though he is, he is a good guy, and he was trying to help, however convoluted of a way he tried it.

"You are okay, right?" Mike asks, his voice a little bit muffled by Kevin's shoulder.

Kevin nods, grins. "Even if I wasn't, I'm sure you'd find some harebrained way to make it better," Kevin jokes, and Mike starts pulling away from him. Kevin lets him go, a little bit disappointed that the hug is over.

"Okay," Mike says, hands held up. "No more hugging."

Kevin opens his mouth to object awkwardly, then closes it and shrugs instead. "You don't have to do that."

Mike's eyes go a bit wide.

"I mean, hugging is fine. I'm pro-hugs." Kevin insists, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Just, you know, limit yourself. Pick your moments, is all I'm saying."

Mike laughs, fidgets a little bit. "I'm going to remember that."

Kevin starts backing away down the hall to his own room. "Never a doubt in my mind."

Kevin turns, ready to go to bed himself, but Mike calls out to him after a few steps. "Kevin?"

Kevin half turns back to him, expectant.

Mike looks odd, his head titled a little bit, his expression unreadable. "Why did you take that hit for me?"

Kevin pauses, considers. He watches Mike down the hallway in the dim light, wonders. He knows that he'd have done it for any one of them, that they all mean something to him beyond just 'team'. But he hadn't even thought about it when Mike was in danger. It was complete instinct. The need to protect him had been strong enough to override his self preservation instinct, and that, Kevin thinks, must be something along the lines of Mike's need to make him feel better about it. "Well," he says after a long moment, shrugging. "You'd have done it for me."

"Absolutely," Mike says, no hesitation in his voice at all. "Without a second thought."

Kevin nods, satisfied. "Well, that's why, then."

Mike watches him for a minute, nods in return. "Okay. Night Kevin."

"Night, Mike," Kevin echoes.

The next day, it happens a fifth time. Only this time, it's Kevin who catches Mike by surprise after training, yanks him into a hug from behind, presses himself along Mike's back and squeezes him hard.

"Kevin," Mike squeals, laughing. "Can't breathe!"

Kevin lets him go, watches Mike stumble forward, a look of triumph on his face. He smacks Kevin in the chest playfully. Kevin smacks him back.

Mike is walking backwards into the house as he says, "Nice moment. Well picked."

Kevin just grins, bizarrely happy that Mike approves of his actions. "See? I know how to hug."

"Mmmm," Mike contemplates, raising a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. That was more like an awkward bear-squeeze than a hug. I think your technique needs work."

Kevin scoffs, reaching out to swipe playfully at Mike. "My hugs are great. You love them."

Mike laughs, dodges Kevin's hand. "I think you need to work on it," Mike says with a mock serious look. "You definitely need more practice. Maybe even lessons."

Kevin narrows his eyes, scrunches his mouth to the side. "I do not. Need. Hug lessons." He says slowly, warningly.

Mike's look turns bashful, a little bit of color rising to his cheeks. "Okay, if you say so. Let me know if you change your mind."

The sixth time they hug, it's quick and fast and Kevin isn't even sure why he does it. They walk back into the Shiba house after a battle, and Kevin grabs Mikes arm and swings him around into Kevin's chest. Mike wraps a stunned arm around him, and Kevin backs off immediately, tries to look nonchalant.

"Everything alright?" Mike asks quietly, looking back for the others and then back at Kevin's face worriedly.

"Yeah," Kevin nods, and he puts a little bit of distance between them on purpose. "Just glad your okay."

Something shifts on Mike's face, something Kevin can't read, the same looks he'd worn the other night in the hall. Then he's close to Kevin again, his arms around Kevin's waist and his cheek pressed against Kevin's. Kevin tentatively wraps his arms around Mike's shoulders.

"Who have you been hugging?" Mike whispers into Kevin's ear, and he makes a face even though Mike can't see it.

"What?"

"Your hugs," Mike jokes, not letting Kevin go. "They've totally gotten better."

Kevin sighs, lets his arms drop, but Mike doesn't back away from him. If anything Mike holds on a little bit tighter, and Kevin doesn't know what to do.

"And you were right," Mike says quietly against Kevin's ear. "I totally love your hugs."

It's enough to make it not awkward when Kevin wraps his arms around Mike once more, and they hold onto each other for a few minutes.

Mike lets out a heavy breath against Kevin' shoulder. "We should probably… the others," he says, and Kevin pulls back again, and this time Mike lets him.

Mike gives him a look, one that Kevin is starting to understand means something along the lines of 'I'm having feelings I'm not sure about', and Kevin reaches out with a hand, dusts off Mike's shoulder, straightens his shirt. It makes Mike grin, and he does the same for Kevin, his fingers tugging the hem of his shirt down.

Kevin watches Mike's face, catches his eye, realizes why he pushed Mike out of the way. There's something there, Kevin thinks, a corner of his mouth turning up, that makes him want to do stupid things. Like save Mikes life, and let Mike hug him, and hug Mike back. And the hugs… they do make him feel better, he realizes. They do help him deal with all the angst he'd created for himself. So Mikes plan, as insane as it had seemed to begin with, was actually kind of working.

Kevin's hand tightens on Mike's shoulder, and Mike looks down at it. "So," Kevin says quietly, "that offer for hugging lessons still on the table?"

Mike looks up at him, eyes wide, amusement playing over his features. After a moment he tilts his head and says, "You don't need them."

"Yeah," Kevin says, nodding slowly. "I think I really do."

Kevin stops keeping count of their hugs after that.


End file.
